Brothers and sisters,
This Sunday is our family worship service! This is one of my favorite things about IGC. Every six weeks (give or take), we have a worship service where all our covenant kids remain with the adults for the entirety of the service. This not only gives our children's ministry volunteers a much-needed break, but it also is a fantastic opportunity for our kids to learn how to worship the Lord Jesus! Here at IGC, we believe our children BELONG to Jesus, even before they ever express faith. Indeed, we believe the church is THE family of God, where singles, married, parents, children, empty-nesters, and grandparents are bound together by a baptismal water that's thicker than blood.
Even though this service will have all the usual elements, it will look a little different. During service, there will be some extra explanations of the things we do in worship. And if you're a parent, please note these other changes and ways you can prepare your kids:
Worship. We've picked songs and elements that are simplified and easily engaged in by kids, so you can encourage and help your kids to sing.
Jesus Loves Me (the lyrics on Sunday will be slightly different)
Offering. Unlike most Sundays, we'll be taking up a physical offering. This is a great opportunity to have kids give. Encourage them to go through their piggy bank or allowance to give from their own money. Or consider letting them give your family's offering.
Sermon. We'll only have one sermon this family service, but rest assured, it will be a shorter sermon - more of a homily, tailored to a younger child's vocabulary level.
It will be my goal to preach a sermon that can engage four-year-olds AND forty-year-olds. We believe that regardless of age, what we all need is the same: to see and hear Jesus in his Word!
Also, we won't be giving out handouts as we've done in the past. We want to encourage our kids' full attention to the service.
Communion. We will observe communion together. Even though communion is only for those who have been baptized and publicly professed faith in Jesus, we still want our covenant kids to see us partaking in the Lord's Supper. This is an opportunity to talk to your kids both about what communion is and what they believe. When they come up with you to receive communion, we as elders will pray a blessing over them.
The general rule for this family service is we expect kids to engage and for parents (and friends) to help kids engage. That's because we believe that Jesus IS engaging and does engage kids. Likewise, we will be actively trying to engage them. I think kids generally rise to the level of expectations. That said, there is so much grace and patience extended to parents and kids! This is a new thing. Some kids are going to be more wiggly, and that's ok.
Looking forward to this Sunday!
Pastor Jesse